[Unpad Media Channel] A Professor from the Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Padjadjaran Prof. Kusumiyati, S.P., M.Agr.Sc., Ph.D. said that as time progresses, the culture of consuming fresh, safe, and healthy food continues to grow. However, the increasing demand differs from a rise in domestic horticultural production.
Approximately 30% to 70% of horticultural produce is damaged, thus failing to reach consumers’ hands.
This is delivered by Prof. Kusumiyati when presenting the academic oration in the Appointment Ceremony and Academic Oration for the Professorship at Grha Sanusi Hardjadinata Unpad, Iwa Koesoemasoemantri Campus, Bandung, Tuesday (28/5/2024).
Prof. Kusumiyati explained that innovative post-harvest technology had been developed and applied in Indonesia. Unfortunately, this technology is only accessible to 15% of producers and distributors due to its expensive price. Meanwhile, other producers still rely on traditionally handled and conventional post-harvest technology.
“If post-harvest technology for local horticultural produce isn’t improved, the damage rate will certainly remain high, and imports will continue to rise,” said Prof. Kusumiyati.
Prof. Kusumiyati emphasizes the need to address this issue by developing post-harvest technology that integrates the uniqueness of small-scale, traditional-conventional post-harvest technology with the advantages of large-scale, modern-smart post-harvest technology.
The post-harvest technology model integrates engineering and design approaches simultaneously, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, intelligence, adaptability, and affordability.
“The hope is that the disparity in post-harvest technology application among post-harvest groups can be reduced so that 85% of horticultural produce quality, including its freshness, can be preserved. Specifically, yield losses can be minimized to as low as 15%,” said Prof. Kusumiyati.
In her explanation, Prof. Kusumiyati also highlighted that the new findings or the novelty of this post-harvest technology offered environmentally friendly circular innovation applications and the preservation of 85% of horticultural produce freshness.
Moreover, the superiority of modern innovative post-harvest technology is integrated with the uniqueness and distinctiveness of traditional-conventional post-harvest technology, along with a design adaptable to climate change.
“The offered novelty is aimed at maintaining the freshness of horticultural produce. It involves establishing a balance and feedback loop of sustainability values among producers, distributors, consumers, and horticultural processing industries,” explained Prof. Kusumiyati.
Prof. Kusumiyati said that the new findings offered innovation in the post-harvest technology for horticultural produce, which is green paradigm-based, adaptive to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and climate change mitigation, will only be realized if the post-harvest design and engineering approach can be integrated precisely, economically, and intelligently.
Prof. Kusumiyati mentioned that integrated post-harvest technology controls the quality of harvested produce throughout the production, distribution, and consumer phases. This can be achieved when all stakeholders apply balanced design and engineering so that harvested produce can continue metabolizing.
“It can be affirmed that post-harvest studies in horticultural production science can be grouped into two main areas. First, the design of controlled quality management of harvested produce throughout the production process until harvest is based on orders or by order. Second, the engineering of handling harvested produce to extend its shelf life or save life from harvesting to distribution and consumption,” he explained. (arm/SA)*
